This 2016 photo shows the “World of Color – Season of Light” show at Disney California Adventure that fans had hoped would return this year, but repairs are not completed. (Photo by Mark Eades,, November 17, 2016.

A large crowd whooped and cheered Friday night, Feb. 22, as the popular World of Color spectacle returned to Disney California Adventure, in its first official soft opening after an accident shut it down for 10 months.

It was an unusually cold night for Anaheim, but perhaps 1,000 people stuck it out until 10 p.m. — park closing time — to view the 22-minute-long water-sound-and-light show featuring Disney movie characters such as the Lion King, Aladdin, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Dory and more.

“It was really good, but then I’m a huge Disney movie fan,” said Disney annual passholder Rachel Ruis of Arcadia. She and her companion, Jay Soohoo of San Gabriel, made a special trip down to see the show after they saw Instagram posts about it returning Friday night. Neither had ever seen it before. Soohoo was ambivalent. “I liked it, but personally I like the fireworks better,” he said.

Stitch from the Disney Animation movie “Lilo and Stitch” is projected onto a water screen during the “World of Color – Season of Light” show in 2016. (File photo by Mark Eades, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Images from the Disney/Pixar film “Finding Dory” are projected onto the fountains that make a water screen as part of the “World of Color – Season of Light” show that takes place during the 2016 holiday season at Disney California Adventure. (File photo by Mark Eades, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Fountains are shaped like a water flowing Christmas Tree as part of the “World of Color – Season of Light” show that takes place during the 2016 holiday season at Disney California Adventure. (File photo by Mark Eades, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The fountains erupt into flames as Goofy tries to decorate for Christmas as part of the “World of Color – Season of Light” show that takes place during the 2016 holiday season at Disney California Adventure. (File photo by Mark Eades, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A fountain streams more than 100 feet into the air during the finale of the “World of Color – Season of Light” show that takes place during the 2016 holiday season at Disney California Adventure. (File photo by Mark Eades, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Disney typically offers a dining and entertainment package for a meal and a reserved space to watch Disney California Adventure’s “World of Color” light and water show. (File photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Reservations are not accepted at the walk-in Cove Bar, top right, above Ariel’s Grotto overlooking Paradise Bay at Disney California Adventure. As the sun sets, depending on the season, it is blinding to look towards the water. (File photo by Cindy Yamanaka, Orange County Register/SCNG)

World of Color as seen from the then-Cove Bar in 2015. (File photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Fountains fly into the air, lit with a multitude of colors in the “World of Color – Season of Light” show that takes place during the 2016 holiday season at Disney California Adventure. (File photo by Mark Eades, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The highly sophisticated show features shimmering colored lights, music and 4K digital images projected onto massive fountains, with a full score and even a series of fireballs that draw gasps as they shoot up into the sky.

“We are thrilled to bring the classic World of Color show back to Disney California Adventure. As one of our guests’ favorite shows, it is a wonderful ‘kiss goodnight’ at the end of a memorable day at the Disneyland Resort,” Patrick Finnegan, vice-president of Disney California Adventure, said in a prepared statement.

Park officials have been testing the show late at night for months now. In recent days, fan blogs have been reporting that hotel guests have been awakened by late-night system tests.

This show is the classic production that was shut down in April, after a mysterious accident that unexpectedly damaged the computerized underwater systems.

Marla Jo Fisher was a workaholic hard news reporter before she adopted two children from foster care at age 46, picked up a scruffy dog along the way and somehow managed to keep them all alive, at least so far. She now writes the Frumpy Middle-Age Mom humor column that appears in the Orange County Register weekly. Due to her status as the cheapest person alive, she also writes about deals and bargains for the Register, including her Cheapo Travel column which also runs in newspapers around the country. When she's not having a nervous breakdown, she's usually traveling somewhere cheaply and writing about it.

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